Isaac to bring heavy rain, tornado risk

Forecasters at the National Weather Service are anticipating heavy rainfall of between 1-3 inches starting Tuesday afternoon and running through Friday as a result of what is now tropical storm Isaac.

The storm is not expected to bring heavy wind risk to Georgia, but there will be a moderate risk of flooding and the chance of isolated tornado activity, forecasters have said.

The greatest risk for tornados will be through the end of the day Tuesday, forecasters have calculated, as Fayette and Coweta counties are in the area of higher risk for counties south of Interstate 20. Even though the tornado risk will diminish later, area residents should remain cautious of the threat, officials said.

Having said all that, if Issac manages to take a different track, the forecast can change rapidly, weather officials have acknowledged. Because the storm will not make landfall soon, there is a chance for it to take a different path while still in the Gulf of Mexico.

Even if Isaac doesn’t bring severe weather to Georgia, now is a good time to make sure you and your family are prepared in case a disaster strikes in the future. The federal government has a number of tips and suggestions for emergency preparedness at www.ready.gov.

For the latest information on Tropical Storm Isaac, visit http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ffc/ and click on the link at the top of the page. The NWS is also offering an area video forecast that will be updates as information changes.